Nowadays computer users often communicate with other computer users via computer networks by using computer-based software applications with messaging capabilities, such as IBM™ Lotus Sametime™, commercially-available from International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y. Typically, computer users employing such messaging applications maintain a contact list of other computer users with whom they may wish to communicate, and subscribe to receive notifications regarding the current status of each of their contacts, such as whether or not a contact is currently available to receive communications. However, there are occasions where a computer user may wish to communicate with a contact's associate, such as the contact's supervisor or assistant. When this occurs, and the computer user lacks the information necessary for communicating directly with the associate, the computer user typically must request the information from the contact, whereas the contact may be currently unavailable to provide the information.